Psalms 119:108

108 Lord, make thou well pleasing the willful things of my mouth; and teach thou me thy dooms. (Lord, accept thou the willing offerings, or the tributes, from my mouth; and teach thou me thy judgements.)

Psalms 119:108 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 119:108

Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth,
O Lord
Not sacrifices out of his flocks and herds, such as were the voluntary and freewill offerings brought to the priests under the law, though there may be an allusion to them; nor out of his substance, such as David and his people willingly offered towards the building of the temple; but these are not the freewill offerings of his hands, but of his mouth; the spiritual sacrifices of prayer praise: prayer is an offering; see ( Psalms 141:2 ) ; and it is a freewill offering, when a man is assisted by the free Spirit of God, and can pour out his soul freely to the Lord, in the exercise of faith and love. Praise is an offering more pleasing to God than an ox or bullock that has horns and hoofs, because it glorifies him; and it is a freewill offering when it is of a man's own accord, comes from his heart; when he calls upon his soul, and all within him, to bless the Lord: and as every good man is desirous of having his sacrifices accepted with the Lord, so they are accepted by him when offered up through Christ, ( 1 Peter 2:5 ) ( Hebrews 13:15 ) ( Revelation 8:3 Revelation 8:4 ) ;

and teach me thy judgments;
for though he was wiser than his enemies, and had more understanding than his teachers, or than the ancients; yet needed to be instructed more and more, and was desirous of being taught of God. This petition, or what is similar to it, is often put up.

Psalms 119:108 In-Context

106 I swore, and purposed steadfastly; to keep the dooms of thy rightfulness. (I swore, and steadfastly purposed, to obey thy righteous judgements.)
107 I am made low by all things; Lord, quicken thou me by thy word. (I am brought down so very low, that is, I am greatly afflicted; Lord, grant thou me life according to thy word.)
108 Lord, make thou well pleasing the willful things of my mouth; and teach thou me thy dooms. (Lord, accept thou the willing offerings, or the tributes, from my mouth; and teach thou me thy judgements.)
109 My soul is ever[more] in mine hands; and I forgat not thy law. (My life is in my hands forevermore/My life is always in my hands; yet I never forget thy Law.)
110 Sinners setted a snare to me; and I erred not from thy commandments. (Sinners set a snare for me; but I did not stray from thy precepts.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.